I totally agree. Beane was working with a funds defecit, while you could say that Flower is working with a talent defecit (compared with the big guns). The situations are different – Flower can pick whoever he wants, providing they’re English (or in some cases even if they’re not!) The main thing is that he’s willing to gain the extra one or two per cent advantage over his competitors by going down untried/undiscovered avenues. I think there’s particular merit in enhancing statistical analysis in T20s, seeing as the format is still in it’s infancy.

Big difference between Moneyball and Flower is that Billy Beane used statistics primarily to identify value for money, so that he could buy cheap, under-rated players who would turn out to be stars. Money isn’t a problem for Flower, but he does still need to spot those who people might be surprised are selected but who somehow have the right stuff. In a way, this is a very Duncan Fletcher thing. Who would have thought that Strauss, Tres and Anderson would have turned out so well!

Andy Bull, well I enjoyed his outing this morning with this week’s Spin. He’s started out well from the gates, and will hit his straps shortly.

The Spin is dead! Long live the Spin!

It seems mildly incredible to me that people like Jack Straw et al think that to remind the people of the BNPs unsavoury attitude to race is all that is required to defeat them.

Most people know that the BNP go, how shall we put it, ‘a bit too far’ on race, but when they see political parties refusing to stem the flow, they will continue to vote BNP because there is nowhere else to go.

If we add the anger people feel over MP’s expenses and Labour’s refusal to grant a referendum over Lisbon, we have the perfect conditions for growing disilusionment with the main parties.

Only by credible policies on these issues, will the BNP be removed from the political landscape; only, I and many others have little expectation that the main parties will do anything substantial to solve the issues.

Simply crying ‘racist’ will not do. People know that. It is the issues that matter, not the BNP.

The pavillion at Lords for the T20 World Cup was relatively empty, so the vast majority of the MCC members dont appreciate this shortened game, so take it to the people.

Vinoth

alight – to come down from something (as a vehicle): as a : dismount b : deplane

Anyways, it’s your language. Not mine:-)

Although I am myself of the female persuasion and no spring chicken either, I too give my seat up for OAPs. Last week, I was on my way home from an appointment and had the bad luck to be stuck on a jam-packed bus full of school children. A handicapped old lady alighted and asked for a seat only to be given a mouthful of abuse by a group of 13-year olds. We adults passengers – including the bus driver – gave the kids severe grief and the lady got her seat.

But I have to wonder, if burglary’s fairly common in that part of the world, why the authorities bother with all the CCTV. Obviously it’s not preventative.

Now apologise for calling one of these women a “girl.”

Luke Wright has been pretty impressive of late. Good pick!

I’m disappointed not to see Denly in the squad though. He’s young, done well in the ODIs, is a right-hander, and his inclusion might jolt Cook out of his complacency.

P.S. Stop calling me Shirley

I am going to try to watch every game. Rooting for one of the English teams.

Nothing compares to Tests, but I much rather like this and IPL and other club level T20 than any limited overs (especially ODIs) played at the international level.

After this series, India and Australia will play a horrendous seven game borefest for no prize and no goal. No thanks.

Bring on the Champions League – I can’t wait for the death of the international limited overs game.

For the semi-professional cricketers in Aust, SA and NZ this may be their only chance to compete on the global stage. Unlike England, international players are not a major part of the season in those places.

I am fascinated to see how T&T go against Otago Volts, for example. It is a great chance to see some different cricketers shine. It is also a chance to see players like Tresco outside England again.

I think the tournament has a real chance of establishing itself and with any luck acting as a bit of a counterweight to the IPL.

Why would you care less about this than the IPL?

enjoy….. nice reading your blog….

On the other hand, some of them were found lacking in good humour around November 2003. Can’t think why….

I hold this blog in great affection and have many wonderful memories, amongst others of sitting here at 4am following England in Pakistan and not being alone.

Thanks for that and I look forward to more of your wisdoms in the future!

good luck in your new job!

Look forward to reading you on here as and when. You’re spot on about Cricinfo – I’ve lost weeks, probably months, of my life on there. So worth it though!

I emailed you a few weeks back, and will get back to you, but I’ll let you settle into the new job first!

Rich

Also perhaps a chance to prepare properly for the Ashes in 2010/11?

I read somewhere that the reason ’stumps’ are so called is due to the fact that originally people had to strike the stup of a tree. Now a wicker gate is made up of a combination of interlocking branches so the stumps may represent the wicker gate.

By analogy – that which we call the ‘bails’ may have been bails of hay.

It is interesting that terminology has not altered in 400 years

And as for their Champions Trophy performance, well, I’m at a complete loss! Is it the wonder of one-day cricket that losers can suddenly become conquerers? Probably. But somehow it injects yet more one-day apathy into my rigidly Test-formatted veins. Or something.

There’s just too much one-day cricket…

It was quite true to say that Goughie wasn’t the best dancer in his series but Mark Ramprakash was absolutely fantastic. Not only his good looks and his dedication to training but the superb performances he put in from week one and onwards made him the best and most admired dancer in the show. If only the England management had treated him in a similar way as Karen Hardy did – lots of TLC – it might all have been different.